Modulation of mammalian cell lineage by synthetic immodulins

Abstract

This invention provides synthetic immodulin peptides and related compositions and methods. The peptides of this invention exhibit new and surprising biological activities, such as the expansion of specified differentiated mammalian lineages from precursor cell populations which play important roles in post-apoptotic clearance, autoimmunity, targeted vaccination, cancer and trauma, by contacting mammalian cells with the synthetic peptides. Furthermore, the peptides of the invention can be made significantly more potent by each of a series of modifications described in the invention, including a carboxyterminal tripeptide extension to the canonical immodulin core sequence, other peptide extensions with kinase-inhibiting and other domains, substitution with modified amino acids, conjugation to certain bioactive small molecules, complexation to metals or glycosaminoglycans, and co-administration with helper molecules. The invention also teaches compositions and methods for enhancing previously disclosed uses of immodulin peptides to boost the efficacy of immodulin peptides in trauma, immune imbalance, cancer and other medically relevant conditions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.